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By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Etihad Stadium
Last updated on 8 minutes ago.From the section European Football
Kevin De Bruyne scored and assisted in the same Champions League game for only the second time in 59 appearances in the competition, after doing so against Real Madrid in February 2020Manchester City will take a slender Champions League semi-final advantage to the Bernabeu after winning a seven-goal first-leg classic against Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium.
City delivered a magnificent display as they peppered Real's goal for long periods but Carlo Ancelotti's side kept rising off the canvas to somehow keep themselves in serious contention to reach another final.
Kevin De Bruyne set the tone for a magical night of football with a diving header from Riyad Mahrez's cross in the second minute and in-form Gabriel Jesus quickly added a second from close range as Real reeled under wave after wave of attacks.
Mahrez enraged manager Pep Guardiola when he hit the side-netting instead of finding the unmarked Phil Foden, who shot inches wide before Karim Benzema, inevitably, gave Real a lifeline by sweeping home Ferland Mendy's cross after 33 minutes.
Real escaped again shortly after the break when Mahrez struck the post but City restored their two-goal advantage when an unmarked Foden headed home Fernandinho's cross in the 53rd minute.
City were pegged back again when Vinicius Junior dummied past Fernandinho and ran from inside his own half to score a superb second for Real.
However, a brilliant use of advantage from referee Istvan Kovacs allowed Bernardo Silva to fire into the top-left corner for City's fourth.
There was still no let-up and Benzema capped a spectacular game by showing nerves of steel to chip a Panenka penalty past Ederson with eight minutes left following Aymeric Laporte's handball.
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Manchester City
Squad number31Player nameEderson
Squad number5Player nameStones
Squad number3Player nameRúben Dias
Squad number14Player nameLaporte
Squad number11Player nameZinchenko
Squad number20Player nameBernardo Silva- Squad number16Player nameRodri
Squad number17Player nameDe Bruyne
Squad number26Player nameMahrez
Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus
Squad number47Player nameFoden
Squad number7Player nameSterling
Squad number25Player nameFernandinho
Real Madrid
Squad number1Player nameCourtois
Squad number2Player nameCarvajal
Squad number3Player nameEder Militão
Squad number4Player nameAlaba
Squad number23Player nameMendy
Squad number15Player nameValverde
Squad number8Player nameKroos
Squad number10Player nameModric
Squad number21Player nameRodrygo
Squad number9Player nameBenzema
Squad number20Player nameVinícius Júnior
Squad number6Player nameNacho
Squad number11Player nameAsensio
Squad number19Player nameDani Ceballos
Squad number25Player nameCamavinga
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Ederson
- 5StonesSubstituted forFernandinhoat 36'minutesBooked at 81mins
- 3Rúben Dias
- 14Laporte
- 11Zinchenko
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 16Rodri
- 17De Bruyne
- 26Mahrez
- 9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forSterlingat 83'minutes
- 47Foden
Substitutes
- 6Aké
- 7Sterling
- 8Gündogan
- 10Grealish
- 13Steffen
- 25Fernandinho
- 33Carson
- 56Egan-Riley
- 79Mbete
- 80Palmer
- 87McAtee
- 90Lavia
Real Madrid
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Courtois
- 2Carvajal
- 3Militão
- 4AlabaSubstituted forNachoat 45'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 23Mendy
- 15Valverde
- 8Kroos
- 10ModricSubstituted forCeballosat 79'minutes
- 21RodrygoSubstituted forCamavingaat 70'minutes
- 9Benzema
- 20Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forAsensioat 88'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Vallejo
- 6Nacho
- 11Asensio
- 12Marcelo
- 13Lunin
- 14Casemiro
- 17Vázquez
- 18Bale
- 19Ceballos
- 22Isco
- 25Camavinga
- 40Fuidias
Referee:István Kovács
Attendance:52,217
Live Text
Match ends, Manchester City 4, Real Madrid 3.
Second Half ends, Manchester City 4, Real Madrid 3.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.
Nacho (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Phil Foden (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid).
Offside, Manchester City. Oleksandr Zinchenko tries a through ball, but Raheem Sterling is caught offside.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marco Asensio replaces Vinícius Júnior.
Attempt missed. Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Karim Benzema.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Eder Militão.
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross.
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Karim Benzema (Real Madrid).
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Manchester City. Raheem Sterling replaces Gabriel Jesus.
Goal! Manchester City 4, Real Madrid 3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
Fernandinho (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.
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